91 replies to this topic

[Thundery wintry showers]

As a general rule I prefer sunnier climates to cloudier ones when we're talking annual totals under 2000 hours, but the comparison of coastal climates with nearby inland ones represent a notable exception.

In Tyne and Wear for instance, the coastal Sunderland/South Shields area averages about 1500 hours of sunshine per year as measured by Campbell-Stokes recorders, compared with 1350-1400 hours at Durham. However, during the summer half-year much of the excess results from days where inland areas have broken convective cloud (sometimes accompanied by showers and thunderstorms) and coastal areas are clear and sunny all day bar the odd patch of sea fog, and with a chilly breeze off the North Sea. The onshore breeze makes it somewhat tricky when trying to sit outside on an evening, especially when the "haar" rolls in towards sunset.

Despite the relatively low sunshine totals I don't really mind the North East climate as a whole- the winters largely make up for the indifferent summers- but the summer half-year on the east coast can be pretty frustrating for those who enjoy their convective setups, spells of unusual daytime warmth, or sitting outside on an evening.

[jean91]

robthefool, on 17 February 2012 - 19:05 , said:

I've been to Paris many times (lovely city) and from living in London I would say that London and Paris are very similar weatherwise. Compared to the rest of the UK, Paris is definitely quite a bit warmer though. Just like northerners in the UK complain when it is 19C in Glasgow and 32C in London, I often complain when it's 30C in Paris but 23C in London. There can still be quite a big difference despite the relatively short distance.

I lived in Paris for a month in July though, and can say that it is very similar to London - unlike other cities in the UK, the temperature very rarely drops below 21C and there are a good deal of 23-27C days.

Same thing here , many days in summer ,you got people complaining it is just 25c in Paris and in the South it is 30c to 35c locally higher There is this strong belief that once you have crossed the Loire river , you get more sunshine( for center France) which is not really verified although you have to take all geographical situations.The Atlantic side is much sunnier than my area South of the Nantes area they get a good 2000 hours( average per year ) of sunshine. .And totally aggreed on all posts Paris deos not to better for sunshine than London.

Météo-France sometimes describe the climate here as Degraded oceanic ( or other way around?) not sure about the translation;Hope you get my meaning sorry
Also For 1951-1980 period :
Preps average is 630 mm here which is below avearage Nationaly ( 750mm) but the number of rainy days is higher than national average(average 160 to 170 days in Paris) that is almost one day out of 2!!!!!!!!

Edited by jean91, 18 February 2012 - 13:46 .

[Isolated Frost]

The main selling points:
Scottish mountain snow cover (winter sports)
'Sunnier than Paris' (ref to south coast sunshine values
Four seasons (experience everything in one day)
Lingering twilight
Dryness in south-east
Countryside

Main weather related pros- however the last couple were desperation :@

[Scorcher]

Don't forget that the average member of the public is usually not looking for extremes, so the lack of extremes in the UK climate could be a selling point. Rarely too hot or cold. The lack of heat is going to appeal to those looking to escape blistering heat in their home countries. In addition I always feel the air has a fresher and cleaner feel in the UK than it does on the continent due to greater Atlantic influence, particularly in the west. I'd imagine air pollution is lower than most parts of Central Europe so this could be another selling point.

[Tellow]

The Atlantic really does moderate our weather - it disrupts cold spells in winter and hot spells in summer, making them warmer and cooler respectively. If only it could be the other way around, and make cold spells cooler and hot spells warmer!

Edited by Tellow, 18 February 2012 - 14:20 .

[jean91]

You certainly are right Scorcher for the air quality and the fact that there are not much extremes.
To be honest i find the UK ( really staying in the broad sense) Climate fairly to very good in general for visiting .But then you certainly don't come to a country like UK for the Weather. I have.been to many countries close and far away. but Uk got a special palce for me .Don't know , like your first love!!!!may be because i have always tried to understand its culture .If you like a place , its people, the culture , you like it despite dull , boring weather then good weather is a bonus.Should i add a bit like in a couple ???????
Ok you may find me crazy here.
Ps if i wanted to travel for the weather only oh boy , would certainly try to go to Siberia in Winter or way up north of Canada.Usa plains in sring( hoping to see tornados), Hot middle east countries in Summer, to experience extremes but UK( France just right above!!!) a would be my last country!!!!!!!
In all , whatever the weather i always keep an open mind.So no your weather is not so terrible.Will not speak about food, it i not subject here......
Off i am now to Paris enjoying a dull grey sky and mild afternoon

Edited by jean91, 18 February 2012 - 14:27 .

[Stormmad26]

I must admit It's at times when I view charts like the ECM 00Z today, or last nights and many others recently that I wonder where our supposedly changeable weather reputation comes from.. This output and many others recently are just completely non-changeable with the Azores high constantly sat just to our south west or perhaps high pressure over us...

Most other areas are far more changeable on the charts, places like Nova Scotia can be sub zero and sunny with snow cover, then become mild and wet and windy as a rapidly deepening low goes by, which turns into a raging blizzard, then the next day it's -15C and sunny again. That isn't all that unusual there either. Far more changeable than constant SW flow with bits of cloud and rain.. or high pressure over us if we're lucky.

I must admit contrary to earlier posts I sometimes find it hard to believe our 'changeable' reputation and say it wasn't just something people said to make us sound good when in reality many places are at leas as changeable...
Rant over.

[Aaron]

We cannot let the weather spell of dull Azores High weather delude us. Our weather is changeable, very much so, especially between season to season (uh, hello, coldest Christmas Day on record followed by 3rd mildest Boxing Day on record)

[Alza]

Aaron, on 21 February 2012 - 07:59 , said:

We cannot let the weather spell of dull Azores High weather delude us. Our weather is changeable, very much so, especially between season to season (uh, hello, coldest Christmas Day on record followed by 3rd mildest Boxing Day on record)

That could happen anywhere though - eastern US had a cold and very snowy winter last year, snowiest on record in parts of New England, then this year has been largely snowless and mild in comparison. When people talk about changeable weather they usually mean day to day variability as that is more interesting. The most boring spell I can remember was late August 2008 as it was dull and dry across the country except one or two places in the east, and there was day after day of torrential rain in the Lake District.

Edited by Alza 2, 21 February 2012 - 08:11 .

[Aaron]

Alza 2, on 21 February 2012 - 08:11 , said:

That could happen anywhere though - eastern US had a cold and very snowy winter last year, snowiest on record in parts of New England, then this year has been largely snowless and mild in comparison. When people talk about changeable weather they usually mean day to day variability as that is more interesting. The most boring spell I can remember was late August 2008 as it was dull and dry across the country except one or two places in the east, and there was day after day of torrential rain in the Lake District.

Yeah it can and does happen everywhere - but climates like the eastern US are known for being changeable too, so my point still stands, the UK has changeable day-to-day weather too, it's just recently it's been dull because of Azores High.

[Scorcher]

I think it's a good point though, we don't see dramatic swings as Continental places see. The weather is changeable in the sense that we are exposed to many different air masses with different characteristics. A lot of places in the middle of large continents are a long way from the maritime air masses so are not as easily exposed to them. As we are an island on the edge of a huge ocean and a continent our weather can be totally different dependent on wind direction. Alza 2 also makes a good point as well- the US has been experiencing a record mild winter with places like Chicago barely recording any ice days- virtually unheard of. Just shows that even continental climates are not always guaranteed the extremes.

[Thundery wintry showers]

Indeed, it's all down to one's definition of "changeable". It's hard to argue with the notion that Britain, unlike most other parts of the world (including much of continental Europe), is capable of experiencing almost every known variety of weather, and that in particular it is impossible to predict well in advance whether a day's weather will be good for outdoor activities. In this sense our country strongly lives up to its "changeable" reputation.

What does leave me wondering, though, is Britain's reputation for "sunshine and showers" during the summer, with "four seasons in one day". A typical British summer has a strong emphasis on frontal rainfall, with a slow build-up of frontal cloud marking the approach of the rain belt, and then several hours of steady rain, and "bright sunshine one moment and chucking it down the next" type days, though they certainly happen, are comparitively rare. Furthermore, when we do get days of sunshine and showers, quite often extensive low-level cloud restricts sunshine amounts and low convective available potential energy restricts us to light to moderate showers. A typical unsettled spell in, say, the Alsace or the Dordogne, is far more likely to provide sudden heavy downpours preceded and followed by bright sunshine. What's really changeable about a British summer is the day-on-day variability rather than hour-on-hour.

However during the winter half-year I think most of continental Europe probably gets rather more in the way of uneventful, unchanging weather than we do- they don't have the Atlantic influence and, due to lack of solar heating, they don't have the convection that produces the summer downpours.

Edited by Thundery wintry showers, 21 February 2012 - 09:32 .